The Things That We're Afraid Of
by BTMAY
Summary: When Kurt wakes up in the hospital after being ruthlessly attacked while walking home one night, he's suprised to learn who came to his rescue. Feeling conflicting emotions about his savior, Kurt realizes some things are worth more consideration.
1. Chapter 1

**Edit:** As some of you who know me from tumblr are aware I'm not only bad at deadlines and commitment to projects but I've also had some major stuff going on in my offline life. Updates to this fic will likely continue to be few and far between. Regardless, this is a fic I intend to finish even if it takes an age. That being said, though, please keep in mind that updates will continue to be sporadic and far apart, so if that's not good for you best wait till I finish.

Enjoy~

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><p><strong>The Things That We're Afraid Of<strong>

**Chapter One**

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><p>Pain.<p>

That was all he could feel. In that moment, there seemed to be nothing else in the world but the pain that was pounding through his head. Originating from the side of his head, where the thick fist had connected with his skull.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to open his eyes. What sunlight was left, as night quickly fell around them, added a searing pain to his list of complaints that was rapidly becoming longer. He blinked his eyes blearily, trying to get them to focus.

Green. It took him a moment to work out that the greenness surrounding him was grass.

He wondered vaguely how he had ended up on the ground. He was relatively certain he had been standing when he had been punched in the face.

He was brought, abruptly, out of his musings when a boot connected with his side and pain exploded throughout his body. The first blow was followed by others. Boots and shoes rained blows down on him like a monsoon. The pain that flooded through Kurt's already battered body was less than welcome though. He struggled to make himself a small as possible, curling up, wrapping his arms around his head.

It hurt to move.

It hurt to breathe.

It hurt to exist.

Kurt vaguely wondered how he had got himself into this mess. It was hard to think as the blows continued to connect with his back and shoulders.

He remembered... Blaine. They were going to go on a date. See some movie. Why wasn't he with Blaine now? he wondered.

Gasping as a particularly hard blow sent pain shooting up his spine, Kurt remembered. Blaine had said... something. What had Blaine said? Kurt fought to remember but it felt more and more like he was swimming through molasses trying to remember anything.

It didn't really matter what Blaine had said Kurt supposed. He remembered that whatever it was, it had upset him, so he left. Blaine had offered him a ride home, but Kurt had turned him down. He hadn't cared that it was getting dark, his house wasn't too far away from the movie theater, and he had wanted... he wanted something.

What was it? Maybe he had wanted to clear his head a bit. That sounded like something he would have wanted.

He heard whimpers.

They sounded distant to him, but then again so did everything. He wondered if he was making those noises and just unaware of it, or if there was indeed some other poor soul getting beat up near by.

He wondered where they were, why there was no one around to make the pain, which by now had reached levels of excruciating that Kurt had previously not known existed.

He remembered walking.

He had passed that one bar, what was it called? He didn't know. He decided he didn't really care. They had poured out of the bar's front door as he was walking by on the opposite side of the street. A group of men, young and still in their work clothes. Kurt would probably guess construction based on the type of work boots that were pounding on his back. They had reeked so bad of alcohol and sweat that it had been overwhelming even for Kurt as he tried to walk quickly past on the other sidewalk.

It had started with a wolf whistle, and the words "Where ya offf too you faggot" slurred as they were hurled across the street at him from a man who seemed to be the ring leader of the group.

Things had gotten worse from there.

Kurt had tried to just ignore them, to keep walking, head down. He was proud of his sexuality, but something about the anger in that man's voice and the stench of alcohol had set off warning bells in his mind. He had just wanted to get home.

The men started following him. Insults began flying, no longer just from the leader, but from the group as a whole. Kurt fumbled with his shoulder bag, trying to find his phone, whishing he had worn something with pockets. If he could just find his phone he could call his dad, or Finn, or someone to come pick him up.

If he could just find his phone everything would be fine.

They had left the business are of town, and now they were making their way down residential streets. The men's words loud against the early evening quiet of the neighborhood around them. Kurt wished someone would come out of their house and help him. No doors opened.

The men decided to cross the street. Kurt decided it was time to run. His heart leapt erratically in his chest. He passed by an empty baseball field, and decided to cut through it. Knowing he would be fine if he could just make it to his house.

He only made it about halfway across the field before they surrounded him.

Oh Kurt thought, feeling increasingly sluggish, So that's where they were.

After a moment he realized that though the pain was still radiating through his body, the blows had stopped. When had that happened? He wondered.

He felt large strong hands force him out of his curled up position. He struggled weakly against the hands that held his arms down and forced him flat on his back, but he was also struggling to remain conscious and his resistance efforts, however valiant were futile against the heavy bodies of the men.

The man, who Kurt was now certain was the leader, kneeled down over him. The man's face was contorted into an ugly expression of disgust and hate. He gripped the collar of Kurt's expensive shirt. Then, he punched Kurt, again, this time landing a blow to the opposite side of his face. The man pulled his arm back and punched him again. And again and again. All the while him and his drunken comrades kept up a litany of insults.

It seemed that this part of the night lasted forever and at the same time it seemed to only last an instant. Kurt could feel the cool tendrils of unconsciousness creeping into his mind. His memory just kept getting worse, was that the fifth time he had been punched? or the sixth?

He knew, though, even then, that he would always remember that sound.

The sound of one solid powerful body colliding with another with all the force and anger of a rampaging beast. He knew that with that sound, the blows stopped coming, the insults were silenced, and he finally slipped into the blissful unawareness of unconsciousness, a cool spring found hidden in a desert of searing heat and pain.

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><p><strong>AN<strong>: I hope you enjoyed. Reviewers get my love and adoration.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: **Just so you all know, this fic is au after season 2 episode 20 (Prom Queen). It's set roughly at the beginning of the following year, the third year of New Directions. All of the New Directions members that were in the club at the end of Prom Queen, are still in the club in this fic.

I hope you enjoy.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Click. Click. Click. Click.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The receptionist was glaring at him.

Not wanting to get kicked out of the waiting room for the same reason he had been kicked out of the hospital room Finn forced himself to stop. He put down the clicky pen on the table beside him, watched it roll down the mountain of ancient magazines. His leg, no longer allowed to tap his foot, twitched slightly from the nervous feeling that was running through his body like little bolts of electricity.

Finn had been on his way home from Rachel's house when he had seen the lights.

They lived in a relatively quiet neighborhood, so naturally the sight of five police cars, three ambulances, and two fire trucks pulled up on the grass of the baseball field had brought out the curiosity in him.

He was later thankful that it had interested him enough for him to want to find out more.

He had parked his car, and strolled over to the already gathered crowd that was pressed against the barriers the police had set up. He could see that there was a certain amount of fascination in their eyes.

He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, what he saw though, certainly wasn't it.

Off to one side, surrounded by armed police, sat a group of confused looking construction workers. Some had a bit of blood splattered on their dusty uniforms. They looked like they were having trouble processing what had happened. Finn could smell the alcohol even from where he was standing.

In the middle, by the fire trucks, a few police officers seemed to be interrogating someone, but Finn couldn't get a good look at the guy from where he was standing.

On the other side, near the ambulances he saw a hurried and confusing mass of paramedics. They were loading two people onto stretchers. One looked to be a man in his mid to late twenties. He was wearing the same construction uniform as the other guys. Only his was a lot bloodier. Finn could see why, the man's face looked like someone had taken a baseball bat to it. The other person on a stretcher looked like…

Kurt.

Even through all the blood and swelling. Finn recognized him immediately. Finn couldn't really remember walking through the crowd and over the barriers. In his memory it was like he recognized Kurt, and then suddenly he was there by his side, though Finn was pretty sure he walked or something. He figured if had the ability to teleport he would have figured that out before this event.

"You can't be over here. You need to go back behind the barriers, they're there for a reason." Said the first paramedic to notice him. The woman's tone was not unkind, but clearly stated that she had more important things to be doing than dealing with idiotic bystanders.

"He's my brother." Finn had said. It was weird, but up until that moment, Finn didn't think he had ever referred to Kurt as his brother. His step brother, certainly, but in that moment it had just come out of his mouth that way.

The paramedic's facial expression softened at his words. Kindness, sympathy, and a hint of pity replaced the impatient edge in her voice and face.

"We're going to take him to the hospital. You can come with us in the ambulance." She said speaking slowly, which Finn appreciated because he was having a bit of trouble keeping up with this situation.

His eyes were fixed on Kurt.

He knew Kurt had been roughed up in the past. He himself had at one time, participated in such things. But this, this made dumpsters and slushies look like a friendly handshake.

"You should try to get in contact with your parents as soon as possible" the paramedic said.

Click. Click. Click. Click.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Click. Click. Click. Click.

Finn had given up on being quiet. The receptionist would just have to deal with it.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was after midnight. Between school, football practice, and hanging out at Rachel's, he should have been exhausted by this point. He wasn't though. He was still so full of nervous energy.

The doctors had announced a few hours ago that Kurt would live.

He had several broken ribs, and he had needed a lot of stitches. The worst though, had been the injury he'd gotten to his spine. For a while the doctors had been worried Kurt would be paralyzed. They'd eventually figured out how to fix it.

The doctor had explained it to them, Finn, Burt, and Carol. Had something to do with alignment, but all Finn really caught of that conversation had been that Kurt wasn't going to be paralyzed.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Click. Click. Click. Click.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Finn glanced at the clock again, then the door that lead to the hallway off of which Kurt's room was. His mom and Burt were waiting in the room with Kurt, and his mom had said she would come get him as soon as Kurt woke up.

Click. Click. Click. Click.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Click. Click. Click. Click.

**Authors Note: **I've roughly planned out the fic, and I'm thinking it's going to have twenty eight episodes. However I may combine Tina and Mark's chapters, and maybe Puck and Zizes' chapters also.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: **Not many reviews for last chapter, did you lot not like Finn? Anyway, a special thank you to Midnight41 for being the only person to review last chapter. And thanks to everyone who is reading this fic and who reviewed chapter one, your support is appreciated.

I hope you enjoy~

Something smelled strongly of disinfectant.

Kurt hated that smell. It reminded him of hospitals, which reminded him of the night his mom had died.

He felt sore and so tired. He wondered what he had done last night that made him feel so vague. Had he gotten drunk? Was this what being hung-over felt like? He couldn't remember drinking, in fact he couldn't remember any sort of party whatsoever.

What had he done? It was hard to think. There was a light somewhere, and it hurt his eyes even with his eyes closed. He should turn that off.

He was going to get up and turn off the light. He was. He was just having some difficulty convincing his body to move. He eventually came to the conclusion that his legs just were not going to listen. Maybe he could turn off the light without having to get up or open his eyes.

That would be nice.

His brain wanted to just give up and go back to sleep, but he forced himself to concentrate. It was then that he realized there was a warm calloused hand clutching his.

Why hadn't he noticed that before? Whose hand was that? The questions flooded through his mind.

After a few moments of his mind, that was still moving so slow, trying and failing to comprehend what was going on he came to the conclusion that he would just have to do it. He would have to open his eyes and deal with the light that would probably be worse with his eyes open.

He blinked his eyes open. At first, all he saw was white. Bright. Painful. White.

As his eyes adjusted to the light he recognized the stark white ceiling and walls of Lima General Hospital. He looked down at himself and realized that he was in a hospital bed, with some sort of iv hooked up to his arm.

Suddenly he remembered what had happened. Well, not all of it, some of the details were still hazy. He remembered enough to know why he was here though.

His eyes drifted over to his hand, it was enveloped in the grip of two larger hands. They were warm hands, and the feel of their calloused strength against his own hand was comforting. With his eyes he followed the arms that were attached to those hands up. Some part of him knew who it was that was holding his hand like that before he even got to the face.

His father was seated next to the bed. Gripping his hand. Looking tired and worried. Burt's eyes were red, and his face was wet. Kurt realized he'd been crying.

"Hey kiddo, how're you feeling?" Burt asked. His voice was relieved, but under that relief Kurt could hear the stress and worry.

Talking seemed hard at first, but he eventually got his mouth to do what he wanted.

"Sore." He replied honestly. His voice sounded a bit hoarse and his father handed him a glass of water.

"I would imagine so, you've had one hell of a night kiddo." Burt responded, making a noise that could almost pass for a chuckle, almost. "Carol and Finn were here, but they just left a little while ago to get Finn to school. That Blaine guy stopped by too, but he had to go to school also."

Kurt tried to nod, and regretted it instantly. His head hurt and attempting to move it made the room spin dizzyingly. He tried to focus, there was something he needed to find out.

"What happened?" Kurt asked. His memories were still all fuzzy around the edges and somewhat disjointed, and there were parts he couldn't remember at all, like being brought to the hospital.

"You don't remember?" Burt asked, as worry etched itself back on his face.

"I remember some," Kurt said quickly, not wanting his Dad to be more worried than he already was. "It's just there are some parts I can't remember as well as others."

Burt nodded, but the worry didn't leave his face. He seemed to be thinking quite carefully about his next words.

"You were attacked…" He said slowly.

"I remember that part." Kurt said, not wanting his father to have to go into anymore detail about that part of the night. That was the part he'd rather forget. There was something Kurt did want to know more about though, a very vague memory of a sound. The sound was etched into Kurt's memory, and if he was recalling correctly that sound had brought relief from the pain.

"There was someone else there right?" He asked slowly. "Someone stopped them just before I blacked out… I don't really remember that part though."

Burt also seemed to take a few moments to consider his words before answering Kurt's question. Only this time, a few moments seemed to stretch on for a lifetime to Kurt. Why was his father worried about telling him this? Kurt understood his father's reluctance to discuss the details of his attack but this? This didn't seem like it should be so hard.

"Yes," Burt said finally, "someone else was there."

Kurt waited for his father to continue, but when he didn't respond quick enough for Kurt's rather impatient nature Kurt asked "And?"

"I don't know why they were there, but it's a good thing they were." Burt said in a tone Kurt knew was trying to be convincing, though convincing who he wasn't really sure.

"Yeah, I'm glad they were…" Kurt said, wanting his father to just get out what ever little tidbit of information that was making him so reluctant.

"It was that boy, the one who used to harass you at school. I think his name is Dave or David or something. He's the one who stopped them and called 911."

"Dave Karofsky?" Kurt said incredulously.

"Yeah, that sounds right." Burt said studying Kurt's face as though trying to gage his reaction.

Kurt didn't know what he had been expecting. But this, this certainly was not it.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed it. Reviewers get my love and adoration. I'm thinking next chapter should be from Mr. Schuester's point of view, what do you lot think?


	4. Chapter 4

Authors Note: I know some of you had hoped that this one was going to be from Dave's point of view, but I'm sorry to inform you that it is not. I'm saving Dave's chapter for a very special point in the story. Thank you SOO much to everyone who reviewed. It means so much to me and is a very good motivator for me to try to update more often.

All of your comments were appreciated and taken in to consideration.

And I just wanted to let you lot know that I've done all this lovely formatting for this fan fiction, only you guys can't see it because Ffnet is being a but and isn't showing it correctly.

I hope you enjoy~

Will Schuester pressed the heels of his hands into his tired eyes, willing the massive headache that was pounding around in his head to go away. He had barely gotten a wink of sleep the night before. That and the stress and worry that had been the causes of his wakefulness were now really starting to take their tolls on him.

He stared down at the mug of coffee in front of him. It had seemed like such a good idea when he made it, but now it just looked completely unappetizing. He blamed the headache that he suspected was transforming itself into a migraine.

Emma placed a small soft hand on his shoulder and it made him start a bit in surprise. He hadn't even noticed her come into the kitchen. She looked worried, and tired, she hadn't slept much either.

"Maybe you should call in sick today?" she said sweetly the concern clearly written on her face.

Will sighed. He had considered doing just that, but he couldn't. At eleven o' clock last night he had received a call from Finn that Kurt had been rushed to the hospital after being brutally attacked on his way home. He had just been getting into bed after finishing grading papers when the phone rang.

"Hello Will Shuester speaking," he had said as he answered the phone.

"Oh. Good Mr. Shue your still awake I was worried I wasn't going to be able to get a hold of you." Came the response, the voice sounded exhausted, and there was a tiny edge of panic to it, but it was still unmistakably Finn's.

"Finn? Why are you calling me? Is everything alright?" Will had responded, the tone of Finn's voice was unexpected, and it worried him. After the alcohol awareness week Will had given both his cell phone and his home phone number to all of the glee kids in case they were ever at a party and needed a sober driver to get them home safe.

Until now, none of the Glee kids had ever felt the need to call him.

"Uhm… well I wouldn't say everything's alright… but the doctors just announced that he's going to live so that's a good thing right?" Finn responded, sounding distracted.

Will felt his blood run cold, he thought of all of his kids, they really were his kids now and he cared immensely for them, in about a million different bad situations then. Each panicked idea getting progressively worse than the last.

"Finn what's going on? Who are you talking about?" He said, forcing his voice to come out as calm as possible. Emma had woken up in her place beside him on their bed and was staring worriedly at him as she listened in on the conversation.

"Kurt," Finn said, and Will couldn't be sure, but it was as if he could hear the forced back tears in Finn's voice. "Kurt's in the hospital. We got here a few hours ago in the ambulance and he's in the ICU. It was pretty touch and go for a while… but the doctor says he's going to live."

"Oh my god," Will said, truly unable at this point to keep his voice calm "What happened? Is he going to be ok? Are your parents with you?"

"Yeah, I called my mom and Burt from the ambulance, they got here a few minutes after we did." Finn said, and will tried to be relieved for that at least.

"Kurt, he's…" And here will heard Finn take a shuddering breath. "I.. I don't know if he's going to be ok. But he's going to live. Which is better than what they were thinking in the ambulance so…"

Finn trailed off, and Will could tell Finn was haing just as much, if not more trouble talking about this as will was having hearing it.

"Finn," Will said gently, still feeling the need to know, "What happened?"

"He… He was walking home… and I don't know why he didn't just call me, I would've picked him up," Finn said, his last words sounding a little chocked and Will got the impression that Finn very much wished Kurt had decided to call him.

"And while he was walking home, these drunk guys… they attacked him." Finn said his breath a little shuddery even through the slight static of their phone call.

Will felt a quiet rage building up in him then. He wouldn't be the last to admit that he was sometimes confused, and yes maybe a little less understanding than he could have been in regards to Kurt, and he knew Kurt had been bullied before. But this. This was different. And the thought that anyone would intentionally cause Kurt so much pain that he had to be sent to the hospital in an ambulance infuriated him.

"Who attacked him?" Will said, making sure to overlay enough calm over the anger that was now boiling just under the surface.

"I don't know, some guys. They were all very drunk. The police have them all in custody already." Finn said. Will's mind got stuck on the word 'all' so, not only had one person been willing to do something so horrible, but several.

"Well except for this one guy, he seemed to be the leader of the group… he's here." There was a pause for a half a beat before Finn continued, obviously belatedly realizing what his last sentence sounded like. "Well, not here as in with us, but here in the hospital's ICU ward. They had to bring him here to treat him."

That, hadn't been what will was expecting. Whatever he had been expecting, he wasn't really sure, but this news certainly wasn't it. Kurt did have some muscle on him, Will supposed, from all the dancing he did. But he really just could not imagine Kurt being capable of fighting anyone back enough to land them in the ICU.

"What happened to him?" Will asked, his brows drawn together in confusion. He glanced at Emma, and she looked just as lost as he felt.

Somewhat

"Karofsky happened to him." Finn said, and Will thought he might have heard the hint of a chuckle at the end of that sentence.

"What?" He asked, surely Finn couldn't be talking about David Karofsky. That boy had bullied Kurt to the point where Kurt had felt the need to change schools. Finn must mean something or someone else. Of course, since David Karofsky had joined Santana to start the Bully Whips he had been getting along better with Kurt.

"Dave Karofsky. He probably saved Kurt's life. He happened to be walking by and when he saw what was happening he went all ape shit on the guy." Finn said, and Will didn't even bother to ask Finn to watch his language.

That had been quite the interesting news, and Will wasn't sure he'd fully processed it yet, but he did know one thing. He was glad, glad that Karofsky had been there, and glad that he had chosen to do the right thing and help Kurt.

Finn and Will's conversation ended soon after that, Finn had said the doctor had come in to talk to them about something so he needed to go. Before he hung up though he had asked Will to call the other Glee members and let them know what happened because he was pretty sure this was going to be on the news and he felt like they'd deal with it better if they heard it from Will.

Will had agreed, and had dutifully called all of the glee members. He got a lot of answering machines, but he told them all the basics of what was going on anyway.

He hadn't slept much after that. Mostly he had just sat and stared at his phone. He got a couple of somewhat panicked calls from a few of the glee members he had left messages for, and a very angry one from Puck. Finn had said he would call with more updates when he got them, and will really didn't want to miss a call because he was asleep so he barely slept at all.

Which is why now, as he stared into his coffee and tried to think of a response to Emma's question his thoughts had to compete with a pounding headache.

"I have to go to work Em, my kids need me." He said finally, when that was the only answer he could come up with.

She just smiled at him then, and the expression on her face spoke volumes about how tired she herself was, how worried she was about Kurt, and the glee club, and will, and how she hadn't really expected to get any other answer.

As Will drove himself to work and got out of his car to walk to his classroom he had to just keep repeating to himself _'my kids need me.' _He knew he could deal with a silly little headache if his kids needed him to, and right now they did.

He trudged dutifully through first period. And during second period when Finn's cellphone went off loudly in the middle of his class, and Finn leapt up and left the classroom to answer it without even asking, Will didn't mind. He saw the look in the students in his class' eyes as they watched Finn walk out of the room. The news of Kurt's attack had spread quickly and he could see that they were all, to varying degrees, anxious to find out what was going on.

So Will sat down at his desk, and didn't pretend to teach, because he knew none of his students would bother pretending to pay attention. Not right now. So they waited.

And when Finn returned a few minutes later with a smile on his face, he could see his own relief mirrored in the faces of his class.

"That was Burt. Kurt's awake." Finn announced.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

**Authors Note: **I know a lot of you were hoping for Dave to come in in this chapter… but I have a special entrance planned for him and it didn't work in this chapter soo…

Anyway, I planned out this whole fic, and unless something dramatic happens it's going to be twenty eight chapters long, and I promise Dave will be coming more into the story soon.

Still lacking in Betas.

Reviewers get my love and admiration. Your thought and opinions of this fic are taken into serious consideration and make this fic much better.


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note:** I'm so sorry this one took so long. Stuff in my real life came up; I should be able to go back to updating regularly now.

Chapter Five

Kurt's hands shook slightly as he buttoned up his shirt. He really hadn't meant to glance at the mirror when he was shirtless, it had happened by accident. Kurt had been well aware of the fact that he still had deep purple bruises littering his otherwise pale torso, and had avoided looking at it until this point for a reason. He felt sick to his stomach when he saw the bruises reflected back at him from the mirror. It had been nearly a week and a half already and if they were still this bad he was very glad he hadn't seen them earlier when they were no doubt even worse.

He had known the bruises were still there, was well aware of their presence because of the constant dull ache he felt radiating from them constantly. This ache was accompanied by sharp stabs of pain when he accidentally bumped into them while trying to do anything, or when Finn would forget and try to pat Kurt on the shoulders or back.

Finn had apologized a lot after that had happened.

When he had finished buttoning up his shirt Kurt looked over at the mirror again. With the bruises covered up he looked almost normal. He stared at his own reflection for a few moments trying to decide if this was the right outfit for tomorrow or if he should go with one of the others he had pulled out of his closet and laid out on his bed.

His dad had asked him how he felt about going back to school tomorrow, and Kurt had told him that he was fine, it was no big deal really. The truth was though, that Kurt was freaking out.

He knew everyone at McKinley would know what had happened to him. The story had been all over the news. He had no idea how to expect them to react though. He had tried asking Mercedes how everyone was taking it, but she hadn't been able to be much help because outside of their small circle of Glee friends and what she heard from the gossip mill at McKinley she really didn't have any way of knowing what was going on in the heads of the other students. And the gossip mill at McKinley had been surprisingly quiet on this issue.

Kurt had then had to resort to trying to ask Finn, figuring that since Finn was a jock he should have more of an insider view on how the other jocks were taking the news. Finn had been no help whatsoever though, because when Kurt asked him about it Finn started talking about how Puck and Artie had been planning their own revenge attack on the guys who'd done this, and they even went to the jail where the guys were being held. The police officers had turned them away though.

So Kurt had no idea if he was going to get pitying looks like most of the nurses had given him. Or glares like he had received from an elderly couple when he had gone out to get groceries. Or maybe things at McKinley would just proceed as usual.

Only things at McKinley hadn't been proceeding as usual for a while now. Ever since Karofsky and Santana had started the Bully Whips and Kurt had returned to McKinley things had been getting better. Which lead Kurt to think about what was making him more nervous about going back than all the other reasons combined, David Karofsky.

Kurt really didn't know what he was supposed to do about Karofsky. Karofsky had started the bully whips and apologized, and they weren't on bad terms anymore, but Kurt still felt cautious when it came to the jock. He didn't know where they stood with each other and this, Karofsky had probably saved his life he reminded himself, this just made him feel even less certain about what he had thought about Karofsky.

Kurt wondered briefly how Karofsky's friends were taking the news that he had saved the school fag.

He was pulled out of his musings as there was a knock on his bedroom door.

"Hey Kurt, d'you want to come out to dinner with us? Or would you rather just rest up for tomorrow?" He heard his dad say through the door.

Kurt was tired of resting, he'd been doing that for days.

"Yeah Dad I'd love to go get some dinner, just a sec let me change." Kurt responded.

"Okay, I'll let Finn and Carol know we'll be leaving in an hour then." His dad said chuckling.

Kurt smiled as he made his way over to the closet to look for something to wear to dinner. His dad knew him well.

As such, it was actually an hour and fifteen minutes later when the Hummel-Hudson's finally got into the car to head for dinner. Finn complaining loudly about being hungry the whole way to the restaurant.

Kurt was glad to be getting out of the house but as he poked uninterestedly at his food while Finn and his Dad excitedly discussed sport's in the background as Carol listened to them, his mind drifted back to his thoughts from before.

He knew he had to thank Karofsky. The guy had probably saved his life after all, but he just really wasn't sure how. He knew him and Karofsky had a history of communication problems and he didn't want to mess this up and piss the other boy off. He kind of liked not being shoved into lockers on a daily basis. His clothes appreciated the lack of slushies as well.

An hour and a half later they pulled up in front of their house again.

"Hey Kurt, before you go in I need to talk to you a bit." Kurt's dad said as everyone was getting out of the car. Finn didn't even seem to notice, he was even slower after having just eaten, and Carol sent them both a warm smile before she headed inside the house after Finn.

Kurt wasn't really sure what his dad wanted to talk to him about, and he wasn't really sure he wanted to have this conversation at the moment. He kind of just wanted to go back in his room and go to sleep.

"What's wrong?" Burt asked looking at Kurt with a serious expression on his face.

"Nothing, Dad I'm fine really… just a little tired is all." Kurt said, he didn't want his dad to worry about him.

"No…" Burt said. "There's something bothering you. I can tell."

Kurt sighed, giving up. Sometimes his dad just knew him too well.

"I'm just a little nervous about school tomorrow." Kurt said.

"Finn and Mr. Shuester will both be there keeping an eye out for you, you'll be fine. But if you're really worried about it you can stay home another day if you feel like you need to." Burt said.

"It's not that Dad. I know I have their support and all…. It's just," Kurt said "I'm probably going to see Karofsky tomorrow. And I don't know what to say to him."

When Burt didn't respond right away Kurt continued.

"I want to thank him for what he did, but I just don't know how to say it."

"Just say 'thanks'." Burt said shrugging. "He seems like the type of guy who appreciates it when people are straightforward about stuff like that."

Author's Note: Once again sorry for the huge delay. Thank you lot for sticking with me anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Thanks everyone so much for all the fantastic reviews I really appreciate them.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. :]

It was in the hallways between first and second period that Santana spotted her target. She sped up her pace while shouting.

"Hey Karofsky, I need to talk to you."

He didn't even have to turn around and look to know who it was that was shouting at him in the middle of a crowded hallway. She could tell when he recognized her voice by the way his broad shoulders tensed up and he started walking quicker.

"Go away Santana." He said, still not turning around. "I already told you I don't want to talk about it."

Santana already had a 'well that's too bad because we're going to talk about it anyway' response ready to go when suddenly Dave turned and went into a nearby boys restroom. Santana rolled her eyes. Honestly, like that was going to stop her right now.

Santana entered the boys restroom without even hesitating. There were a few other guys besides Karofsky in the room, and they all looked kind of frightened by her casual entrance into the restroom, well except for Puck, who was looking at Karofsky with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, get out all of you." She snapped. "My boyfriend and I need some alone time."

The other guys fled the bathroom quickly, except for Puck, who took his time and gave Dave a look.

"I still can't believe you scored a chick like Santana" He said to Dave as he made his way out the door.

Once the door had closed behind Puck, Dave turned to glare at Santana.

"I can't believe you just did that." He said.

Santana shrugged, she'd done worse.

"Well we are supposed to be a couple aren't we?"

"That doesn't mean you get to follow me into the men's restroom."

"Oh, well… seeing as I already have followed you into this.." she glanced around the dirty bathroom "…place, let's talk."

"I already told you I don't want to talk about it." Dave said, still glaring at her.

"Well, that's just too damn bad, because we're going to talk about it anyway."

Dave didn't respond, he just stood there doing his best to glare at Santana. For a bulky jock and previous bully he was surprisingly bad at looking intimidating. Or maybe Santana mused, she was just hard to intimidate.

"Kurt's back at school today." She said. It wasn't a question, just a fact. A fact that she knew Dave was already well aware of.

At this, Dave broke her gaze and looked away towards the other end of the bathroom. He always did that whenever she brought Kurt or his homosexuality up.

"I've been trying to talk to you about this for days. I'm not letting you leave until I get my answers." She said, her voice was quiet but it was clear she was taking charge of the conversation.

"Why were you there that night?" She asked him seriously.

"I was just in the neighborhood-" He began before she cut him off, that was the same response he had given the police and she had heard that from the news already.

"That's bullshit. You live on the other side of town. Why were you really there?"

Dave just stood there for a little while not looking at her. She was beginning to think he might just not respond.

"I was on my way over to his house okay?" He mumbled.

"Why were you going to his house?" She asked, she had known that Dave hadn't been in the area by coincidence, but it was still nice to have what she already knew confirmed by Dave.

"I just, I wanted to talk to him. And I didn't have his phone number or anything so…" Dave said.

"You don't have his phone number but you know where he lives?" she questioned hoping that Dave realized how stalkerish that sounded.

"Hudson needed a ride home from practice once." Dave said glaring at Santana again.

"Oh." Santana said, well that made sense she supposed. She looked over at Dave again. Really looked at him. He was still attempting to glare at her, but the black eye he still had wasn't really helping. He had a brace on his right hand and his knuckles had scabs on them. But behind all the fake anger that he was directing at her, underneath that stupid letterman's jacket he always wore, she realized he was shaking.

"It was hard for you, wasn't it? Seeing them do that to him." She said quietly. She knew it would have really messed her up to see Brittany go through half of what Kurt did.

He didn't respond at first, just stared at her. She saw traces of anger and pain, she had been expecting that, what surprised her was the intense fear that she saw.

"I.. I thought he was dead." He said after a few moments of just standing there, and his voice was quiet but she could hear the same fear she had seen in his eyes.

"I thought he was dead, and the paramedics lied to me when they told me he was going to be fine because I found out from Hudson that they didn't think he was going to make it for a while." He said as tears started to fall down his face.

Santana didn't care that up until that point their relationship had only been physical when it was required to keep up the pretense of them being in a relationship. She walked forward and wrapped her arms around him. It didn't matter that there was no one to prove the validity of their fake relationship to around. They had a lot in common, her and Dave, and if either of them was going to get through any of this they were going to have to help each other out.

And if that meant that Santana had tone down the bitch for a few minutes and just let her fake boyfriend and sort of friend cry on her shoulder for a little while, she supposed she could deal with it.

Author's Note: Not going to lie, I love Santofsky friendship. 3

Okay, so I know a lot of you have been wanting Dave's point of view… but I hope this had enough about Dave in it to tide you over for now. He'll be in the fic a lot more from now on.

Reviews are like always loved and appreciated immensely. Thank you for reading. :]


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: **I'm tremendously sorry for the absurdly long wait for this chapter everyone. A combination of writers block and laziness made it quite difficult to write. A special thank you to GoldenPetal13 for giving me some useful writing advice.

Chapter Seven

Kurt did his best not to fidget as he stared at the clock. There were only a few minutes left in the class period and he was in part looking forward to and in part dreading what would come when the bell rang and released them from the class room.

It was Kurt's first day back at McKinley High School after he had been attacked. Somehow he had made it to fourth period without encountering the subject of his nervousness, Dave Karofsky, his former bully and the guy he now owed his life to.

Kurt had spent most of the day not even sure if he was trying to find David or if he was trying to avoid David. He had a feeling that maybe David had been avoiding him too, because they didn't usually make it this far into the day with out passing each other in the crowded hallways at least once or twice.

But after fourth period is lunch, and Kurt knew he wouldn't be able to avoid at least seeing the other boy in the cafeteria. He tried to take a deep breath and calm down. It was simple right? He just had to do what his dad had suggested. Walk up to Karofsky and say thank you. That shouldn't be too complicated, but somehow it was. Because this wasn't just some guy that had helped him avoid getting slushied. This was David Karofsky, the boy who had threatened to kill him and who had, almost a year later, saved his life.

The bell rang.

Kurt gathered his stuff and put it into his bag almost mechanically. He was trying to think in very very short term goals to avoid worrying more about the now inevitable conversation. He gave himself little commands, easy to follow. Put book in bag. Put bag over shoulder. Walk to the door. Remember to keep breathing. Simple things.

Once the door is opened and Kurt steps into the busy hallway though, it gets harder. The chaos around him as everyone is released from the confines of classes for lunch is overwhelming and it makes his head hurt. The other passing periods hadn't been this bad, he supposed the other students were just excited for lunch. The doctors said he had, among other things, a concussion and that he might still have residual headaches and get overwhelmed or confused more then he used to. He had felt fine at the hospital, at home, in the car, so he hadn't thought much of it but now he was wishing he had paid more attention when the doctor explained how to deal with it.

There were too many people, going too many places and doing too many things. What had he come out here again for? It was all too distracting and he was having trouble remembering, having trouble even thinking, over the mess of sounds assaulting his ears. People talking, people yelling, calling out to each other, someone laughing, and overwhelmingly the sound of shoes hitting the somewhat grimy linoleum floor.

Kurt didn't know where he was going, he knew there was something he was supposed to be doing, but he didn't care. Right in this moment all he wanted was to find someplace quiet, someplace to escape the sounds, the memories they brought to the surface.

He found a door, opened it, went inside. He wasn't sure how long after he entered the room and slid down to the cold concrete floor, back against solid metal lockers, that he realized he was in the boys locker room. He felt like this should be significant, but he couldn't quite remember why. He was too busy being relieved that it was quieter here. He could still hear the sounds of the hallway, but they were muffled, seemed distant. He had a vague memory of a person in a white coat telling him that if he started getting confused he was supposed to try to focus and remember simple things, his name, his age, his birthday etc.

He decided it was worth a try. _My name is Kurt Hummel. I am seventeen. I am a senior in high school at William McKinley. I live with my father, Burt, my stepmother, Carol, and my stepbrother, Finn. I'm gay. My boyfriend is Blaine Anderson. I'm in the Glee club. My best friends are Mercedes Jones and Rachel Berry. Rachel is in a relationship with my stepbrother Finn. _He could feel it working, as he focused on one fact, others became easier to remember. The panic that had consumed him in the hallway was slipping away. He realized he had his eyes closed and was curled up into a tight ball on the floor of the boys locker room.

He didn't hear the door open, the footsteps approach, but he did feel the big hand that landed lightly on his shoulder.

His eyes shot open and he was greeted with the sight of David Karofsky kneeling on the floor next to him, looking worried. The panic started to rise in him, threatening to overwhelm him once more. Then he noticed the black eye, the scabbed knuckles, and the arm brace. _David isn't going to hurt me. David is the one that saved me from the attack._ Kurt had to remind himself._ I was supposed to thank him, _he thought, finally remembering what it was that he was supposed to be doing instead of panicking.

"Hummel are you ok?" Dave asked, the concern evident in his voice.

Kurt was having some trouble getting his voice to work, because for some reason his throat had gone very dry, but he eventually managed to get out a response.

"Yeah, it's just… noisy out there." He said. The look of concern didn't leave Dave's face.

"Are you sure? I could take you to the nurse, or have her come here if you don't want to move, just in case?" Dave said.

"I…, no David it's fine really." Kurt said, finding it easier to talk this time. "The doctors said I might get confused or overwhelmed easy for a while after… and there are just so many people out there."

Dave continued to study Kurt's face for a few moments before he seemed to reluctantly accept the fact that Kurt didn't need medical attention. He moved from his kneeling position in front of Kurt to a seated one beside him. Kurt tried not to flinch as the football player settled in beside him, but it was hard as his nerves were still unsettled from the experience in the hallway.

"Are you hungry?" Dave asked, pulling a brown paper bag from a pocket in his letterman's jacket. Dave didn't normally pack a lunch, Kurt had seen him enough times in the cafeteria to know this. It made him wonder if Dave had intentionally packed one today to further avoid him.

"I'm not really hu-" Kurt began, but a loud noise of protest from his stomach contradicted whatever statement he had intended to make. He hadn't been able to eat breakfast this morning because he'd been too nervous about school and he hadn't realized how hungry he was because of it until now.

Dave, looking slightly amused, handed the bag over to Kurt.

"But what will you eat?" Kurt asked. He already had to thank Dave for so much, and he would rather not add to that list. However the prospect of returning to the hallway to get something else to eat seemed exceedingly daunting.

"I can go get something during fifth period. It's fine really." Dave responded. He was fiddling with the zipper on his jacket as he sat next to Kurt.

Reaching inside of the bag, Kurt's hands located a sandwich that, upon further inspection turned out to be peanut butter and jelly.

"But don't you have a class next period?" Kurt asked as he unwrapped the sandwich.

"I'm aiding for Ms. Johanson's calc class next period, I'm ahead on my work already so she wont mind if I go get something to eat." Dave responded, still seeming unreasonably interested in the zipper.

"Oh." Kurt managed to reply before he took a bite of the sandwich. He couldn't quite repress the quiet whimper that escaped from his throat, though he did try. It had been a long time since he had had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, he had forgotten how delicious they were, and he was hungrier then he had realized. He took another bite, a much bigger one, and was halfway through the sandwich already before he remembered something.

"Thank you" He said, looking over at Dave again, only to discover that the other teen was no longer distracted by the zipper but was instead staring intensely at him. Dave looked away again when he realized that Kurt was no longer distracted by the sandwich. Kurt wondered if that was a blush that was creeping it's way up Dave's neck but tried not to dwell on it for too long.

"It's just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich Hummel. It's no big deal." Dave said as he suddenly regained interest in the zipper.

"Not just for the sandwich David. Thank you, for… everything." Kurt said, whishing he could somehow make his words mean everything he had meant them to, Wishing he could somehow impart on Dave the full magnitude of his gratefulness, but nonetheless feeling as though he did not succeed.

"I'm just, I'm just really glad you're ok Kurt." Dave said. Kurt wasn't sure but Dave's voice sounded kind of like it had that day in the hallway when Dave had tearfully apologized to Kurt. "And I just really wish I could have been there sooner."

**AN: **I hope it was worth the wait. With my work and class schedule I probably wont be able to work on the next chapter until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, but I will try to get it posted as soon as possible.

Reviews are much appreciated.


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors Note: **Sorry once again for the huge delay. Just want to make sure a few things are clear before we get too much further with this story.  
>I am not that medically knowledgeable so my descriptions and treatments of Kurts injuries are probably incorrect in at least some regards.<br>Math is far from my best subject in school.  
>Also this is AU after season two, as I will be disregarding certain changes. However I will be incorporating new info about characters revealed in season three.<p>

**Chapter Eight**  
>Sam had had a big breakfast that morning. That's why when lunch had rolled around he had decided to skip the cafeteria and do a few laps to burn off the extra calories. He had some carrots he could eat during fifth period and he didn't have practice after school that day so he could have a healthy afterschool snack when he got home.<p>

After a few laps he decided that he had done enough and headed back into the locker room through the field side entrance. He was getting his change of clothes out of the locker when he noticed voices coming from the other side of the lockers.

"Um it's fifty seven actually. I think you forgot to carry the one." Said one voice, it sounded vaguely familiar but it took Sam a moment to place it. After all the way he acts you tend to forget that Dave Karofsky is actually really intelligent.

"Really? Ugh, that means I'm more lost than I thought I was." Responded the second voice, which was easier for Sam to place. After more than a year of hearing Kurt sing his voice had become rather familiar. "There's no way I'm going to pass the test next week."

"I could... help you study, If- if you wanted that is" Sam could hear Dave say the nervousness in his voice clear even to Sam. It was odd hearing the former bully turned bullywhip sound that way. He felt like he was intruding on a private moment, even if they were just discussing tutoring. He wanted to just leave and let them continue their conversation in private, last year he would have worried for Kurt's safety whenever the two were alone but things had changed since then. Dave had changed. Unfortunately Sam didn't think he could make it to either door without them hearing or noticing him, in fact he wasn't sure how they hadn't heard him come in. Lunch was nearly over though, so he figured he could just wait it out.

"I feel kind of bad asking more from you after everything you've done for me lately, but would you mind?" Kurt responded. "I really need to pass this class."

"You shouldn't feel bad." Dave said his voice sounding a bit rough. "After everything I put you through I still owe you a lot."

"David, you apologized. And I forgave you. You don't owe me anything. Of course if you'd like to shower me with gifts and compliments I don't think I would complain..." Kurt laughed a little. "That was a joke, I'm sorry, please don't actually do that."

There was a pause after that, and Sam hoped the conversation was over and they would leave soon. However a few moments later Dave started the conversation up again.

"So, tutoring?" Dave said hopefully.

"If you don't mind." Kurt responded. "Is after school in the library ok for you?"

"Yeah, no practice today so that should work." Dave said. Just then the bell to call them all back to classes rang.

"You sure you're feeling ok?" Dave asked. Sam could hear them gathering up their stuff.

"Yeah, much better. Thanks." Kurt said. Sam could hear him walk to the door. "See you after school then?"

"Yeah." Dave responded. "Fancy... promise if you start feeling weird again you'll go to the nurse?"

"I never knew you were such a worrywort David. Yes I promise I'll go to the nurse if I need to." Kurt said as he left the locker room. The door swung shut behind him, but Sam still didn't hear Dave making his way to the door.

"I wouldn't have to be a worrywort if you would just let the people who love you help you more often. I wish you would let me help you more often." Dave said to what he thought was an empty locker room before sighing heavily and heading out to the hallway.

That unintentionally eavesdropped conversation was more food for thought then Sam usually attempted in a week. He gathered up his things and attempted to gather his thoughts as he headed out to the hallway. That last bit Dave had said seemed like maybe Dave had more than friends feelings for Kurt and that was a whole mess to contemplate in and of itself. And then there was that bit about Kurt's health, Sam knew Kurt had been pretty severely injured in the attack but he wondered if there had been any changes or new developments that he hadn't heard about.

Sam spotted Quinn in the hallway and made his way over to her. They had their next class together and she might know something he didn't.

"Hey Quinn, is Kurt sick or something?" He said as he walked up to her. Quinn gave him an incredulous look and Sam got the feeling she was wondering if he had recently consumed copious amounts of drugs or alcohol.

"Are you joking? He was beaten half to death." Quinn responded.

"No I know, I was just wondering if anything new had happened because I overheard... um..." Sam cut himself off. What he had heard in the locker room had felt private, it had not been meant for his ears and it was not his right to share it.

"I was just wondering." He tried to backtrack, but it was too late. Quinn had caught his mistake.

"You overheard who? Saying what?" She asked.

"It was a private conversation. I wasn't meant to hear it and I should talk about it." Sam said as they made their way into the classroom. He tried to sit in a spot where she couldn't sit near him, knowing she would continue to press him for answers all class if possible. It didn't work though, Quinn made the guy sitting in the seat next to Sam change spots.

After a minute that felt like an hour of Quinn questioning him the bell rang and the teacher started the class. He hoped for a respite from Quinn's relentless curiosity but it was mere moments before he felt her hand sliding into her shirt, her slim surprisingly strong fingers finding some flesh on his side to pinch.

When he turned to her, she mouthed 'tell me' at him.

He tried to resist, but about halfway through the class he was forced by his aching side to give in. Scribbling on his paper he wrote down what he had overheard in the locker room and slid the note over to her. Sighing in relief when she let go of him. He left out the bit that Dave had said at the end though; no amount of pinching would get that out of him. That was definitely private and not Sam's place to tell anyone.

**AN:** Hope you liked it. Once again, sorry for the absurd wait. Reviews are loved.


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